Uber And Motional Launch Commercial Robotaxi Service in Las Vegas

Uber and Hyundai Motor-backed autonomous vehicle firm Motional launched a commercial robotaxi service in Las Vegas on Friday, the latest in a string of similar tie-ups as the ride-hailing platform doubles down on its self-driving taxi strategy.

Related: Amazon’s Zoox to Launch Command Hub in Arizona, Expand Testing

Uber has already partnered with major players in the space, including Baidu, Amazon’s Zoox, Nissan and British startup Wayve, and said it will invest more than $100 million to develop autonomous vehicle charging hubs as the sector races to commercialize driverless mobility at scale.

• Uber’s tie-up with Motional will allow Las Vegas users on its app to hail a driverless electric vehicle at no extra cost, the company said.
• The service will cover pick-up zones along Las Vegas Boulevard, including Resorts World, Encore at the Wynn, Westgate Resort & Casino, Downtown Las Vegas and Town Square near the airport.
• Users requesting UberX, Uber Electric, Uber Comfort or Uber Comfort Electric may be matched with a Motional IONIQ 5 robotaxi, with the option to switch to a conventional ride.
• Motional’s IONIQ 5 is among the first SAE Level 4-capable autonomous vehicles certified under the U.S.’s Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), according to Uber.
• The vehicles will initially operate with a human safety operator behind the wheel, with a fully driverless service expected to be launched by late 2026.
• Earlier this week, Uber signed a multi-year deal to deploy Amazon self-driving unit Zoox’s robotaxis on its platform, with limited services already live in Las Vegas and a pilot rider program underway in San Francisco.
• On Thursday, Uber, Nissan and Wayve agreed to collaborate, targeting a pilot robotaxi launch in Tokyo by late 2026, marking Uber’s first autonomous vehicle partnership in Japan.

(Reporting by Lamba in Bengaluru; Editing by Jonathan Ananda)